Bare bones
by AstonishedOwl
Summary: "I told you that I didn't want you to be a martyr." Amon's voice chills her to the bone, as he presses a thumb to her forehead. "But it appears you have forced my hand."


Summary: "I told you that I didn't want you to be a martyr." Amon's voice chills her to the bone, as he presses a thumb to her forehead. "But it appears you have forced my hand."

* * *

Korra tightens her grip on the cable, steadying herself as Equalists slide down to stop her. Blasts of fire send two flying down the roof below, and Beifong's wire yanks a third off of the wire's small platform.

The Chief's second wire misses the cable next to Korra by inches, and Korra vaults herself onto the next highest cable, making her way up so that the Chief can catch the lower platform. Korra sends more blasts into the airship as Beifong lands on the platform fifty feet below her, regaining her balance and retracting the cables. Beifong points to herself, then to the left side of the ship, her shout lost in the gusts of wind but her meaning clear. Korra nods, and shifts her attention to the gap in the belly of the airship. Swinging back and forth on the cable, she gains enough momentum to leap twenty feet onto the platform as soon as the cable clears the edge.

Spinning, she sends fire flying from her feet in blinding arcs. She's dimly aware of Beifong landing as well, her snapping wires throwing more Equalists off of the ship and into the waters of the bay below. Knocking another opponent off his feet, Korra hears Beifong's alarmed shout before something wraps around her legs, sending her sprawling.

She shoots another jet of fire with her fist, but heavy bolas capture her wrists, Equalists leaping in while she is staggered.

And suddenly, deep-set eyes are staring out from behind a mask, less than a foot away.

"I told you that I didn't want you to be a martyr." Amon's voice chills her to the bone, as he presses a thumb to her forehead. "But it appears you have forced my hand."

She sucks in a breath, but a sudden chill races through her body before she can summon the flame. Bone-deep weariness overcomes her, and she is only vaguely aware of Equalists being abruptly pulled from her, before Amon tilts her over the edge of the platform.

Whistling air and Beifong's wire wrapping around her wrist are the last things she knows before the world goes black.

* * *

She's being hustled somewhere, and people are shouting. She cracks her eyelids open, and her vision is filled with saffron fabric. She twists in strong arms and drags in a breath. She forces it out, but no flame responds.

There's nothing.

She sinks back into darkness.

Nothing.

* * *

Consciousness comes slowly to Korra. She's in a soft bed. Her bed. Air temple island.

The cold in her chest reminds her what happened.

She grits her teeth and squeezes her eyes shut.

Her bending is gone. It's gone.

She sucks in air through her teeth, and feels hot, shameful tears slide down the side of her face. She can't seem to fill her lungs.

It takes all of her control not to make a sound, as her world fractures around her.

Quiet footsteps approach.

She muffles her choked gasps with her arm, and turns onto her side.

As the person pauses outside the door, before walking away, Korra is filled with shame and despair. The Avatar doesn't run from anything.

But she's not the Avatar anymore. She's Korra.

And she hasn't been Korra since she was four.

* * *

She doesn't stay in bed. It's clearly what Tenzin expects, and she knows he's shocked when he finds her at dawn in the tallest tree on the island. Her gaze doesn't move from the waves, though, and he quietly leaves soon after.

She can't stay in one place. She's not moping, and she doesn't even think on the situation long enough for it to be self-pity.

She's just going through the motions, because she doesn't know what else to do. More than anything, she feels numb.

* * *

The children keep their distance, afraid and confused at how Korra's been acting, and she skips dinner instead of facing them. She's staring out at the glimmering city from the covered walkways, when a quiet cough catches her attention. She looks back across the water as Mako comes over and leans on the railing a few feet away from her.

There's a brief pause, and he tells her that Tenzin's put him and Bolin in rooms on the island, since the arena was closed for repairs.

She nods slightly, and she can tell that he wants to say more.

Instead, he hesitates, then pushes himself away from the railing and shoves his hands in his pockets.

He walks past her, then pauses and half-turns toward her. His voice is gruff and he won't look directly at her.

"You're the most amazing person I know. If anyone knows how to beat this, it's you. I know you can."

He hurriedly turns back and heads toward the warm light coming from the house.

Korra watches the twinkling lights of the city until dawn.

* * *

A few afternoons later, Bolin catches her at the meditation pavilion and sits her down for a show. He's wearing a ridiculous vest and mustache, and speaks with the grand, sweeping gestures of a stadium announcer.

He's brought a basket full of cupcakes, as well as Pabu and Naga. He explains that they've graciously agreed to entertain the gorgeous, wonderful Korra for an afternoon, and that they know a few new tricks.

She gives a halfhearted smile as the ferret unsteadily walks on his back feet, ferrying a cupcake in his front paws.

Bolin tries to balance another cupcake on the polar bear-dog's nose, but Naga snaps it into her mouth as soon as he turns away.

The circus act disintegrates when his mustache dislodges and falls onto Pabu's head. Spooked by the sudden thing flopping on his head like a ridiculous wig, the poor ferret takes off, Bolin hurrying after him.

She breaks into real laughter, though, when Naga joins the chase with a joyous bark, and bowls Bolin over.

* * *

She doesn't ride Naga through the city. It's been a few days, and Tenzin has cautiously allowed her to leave the island, but taking the polar bear-dog would just make her a target. She would argue that Naga is perfectly capable of defending both of them, but she's finding that she needs time away from people tiptoeing around her with the best of intentions.

It's on this long, thoughtless afternoon that she comes across Tahno. She can barely recognize him. He seems much smaller without his posse, and much paler without his shimmering hair and meticulously-prepared outfit.

He doesn't take her pity, though. They end up wandering around the market district for several hours, and she's surprised to realize that he's almost bearable to be around. Without the tension of an impending fight, she finds his sneers to be less acerbic and more of a simple challenge. Everyone's been so cautious around her, and she jumps at his unapologetic challenge. She's breezily asking if he could tell her where he got those boots, Ikki _loves _that style - when Tahno suddenly pivots, gracefully snatching his money pouch back from the lanky thief and sending him sprawling into the dust. Korra stares at him as he catches the bag and re-pockets it in a smooth move.

"What, you thought I was gonna stand down and let people walk all over me?"

He smirks at her, his old self shining through.

"We may not have our bending anymore, but we're still waterbenders. We adapt to change, and turn it to our advantage."

* * *

The sun hasn't even risen, but energy is twisting up inside of Korra. A buzzing energy fills her limbs, and she needs to _move_, to go somewhere else.

Finally, she sneaks out of her room, and saddles up Naga.

She rides her across the bay, and turns her away from the heart of the city, along the harbor and towards the fields at the edge of the city.

Long stalks of grain wave lazily in the dim light, and Korra urges Naga to go faster, _faster_, until the speed forces tears to her eyes. Her hair is whipping the side of her face. She can barely breathe.

It feels _wonderful._

She's not afraid. She isn't powerless. She won't be, as long as she has people she can trust, that she can fight with, that will protect her as she protect them.

She'll get her bending back. She'll protect the city. She'll restore the balance to the world, because _she is the Avatar._

As the sun breaks the horizon, Korra lets out a wordless shout of joy.

* * *

Hours later, she comes up to Tenzin, her hair windblown and her eyes sparking, and he knows she's ready.

* * *

A/N: This didn't turn out at all like I wanted it to but OH WELL. Short gen fic transforming into a long angst fic seems par for course for me. :c


End file.
